### Please describe the problem.

I have a repository that I assume is somehow broken, in which `git status` hangs indefinitely. Investigating the process tree, the `git status` has spawned a `git-annex smudge` call, which itself has spawned various `git` calls, all of which are unresponsive after multiple days.

### What steps will reproduce the problem?

1. Have this particular weirdly broken repository of mine
2. Run `git status`

### What version of git-annex are you using? On what operating system?

```
git-annex version: 10.20230407
build flags: Assistant Webapp Pairing Kqueue DBus DesktopNotify TorrentParser MagicMime Feeds Testsuite S3 WebDAV
dependency versions: aws-0.24 bloomfilter-2.0.1.0 cryptonite-0.30 DAV-1.3.4 feed-1.3.2.1 ghc-9.2.8 http-client-0.7.13.1 persistent-sqlite-2.13.1.1 torrent-10000.1.3 uuid-1.3.15 yesod-1.6.2.1
key/value backends: SHA256E SHA256 SHA512E SHA512 SHA224E SHA224 SHA384E SHA384 SHA3_256E SHA3_256 SHA3_512E SHA3_512 SHA3_224E SHA3_224 SHA3_384E SHA3_384 SKEIN256E SKEIN256 SKEIN512E SKEIN512 BLAKE2B256E BLAKE2B256 BLAKE2B512E BLAKE2B512 BLAKE2B160E BLAKE2B160 BLAKE2B224E BLAKE2B224 BLAKE2B384E BLAKE2B384 BLAKE2BP512E BLAKE2BP512 BLAKE2S256E BLAKE2S256 BLAKE2S160E BLAKE2S160 BLAKE2S224E BLAKE2S224 BLAKE2SP256E BLAKE2SP256 BLAKE2SP224E BLAKE2SP224 SHA1E SHA1 MD5E MD5 WORM URL X*
remote types: git gcrypt p2p S3 bup directory rsync web bittorrent webdav adb tahoe glacier ddar git-lfs httpalso borg hook external
operating system: freebsd x86_64
supported repository versions: 8 9 10
upgrade supported from repository versions: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
```

Running on FreeBSD 13.2

### Please provide any additional information below

I have an `strace` (really BSD `truss`) of the parent process running. This process is just spinning in a loop responding to SIGALRM, I assume because it's waiting on the unresponsive child process.

### Have you had any luck using git-annex before? (Sometimes we get tired of reading bug reports all day and a lil' positive end note does wonders)

I use git-annex extensively and find it indispensable.
